$1,160Sale Price|20% Off
Faux Bamboo Blue Painted Four Drawer Chest of Drawers
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
This four drawer faux bamboo chest has been painted in a Gustavian shade of blue. Very versatile piece that could be used in a living room, entry way, foyer or as a nightstand in a b...
Metal
Pair of Acanthus Leaf Blue Painted Wall Shelves Brackets
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
On the lighter side, solid plaster pair of wall shelves hand-painted in a French or Swedish Gustavian shade of deep blue. This set features plate indents and could certainly stand al...
Paint, Plaster
French Blue Painted Bedside Nightstand End Table with Drawers
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
The table has been hand painted in a Gustavian shade of blue and has been constructed from solid wood.
Brass
Pair of French Blue Painted Wood Candle Wall Sconces, Wheat and Acanthus
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Charming pair of wall candle sconces with beautiful detail throughout including acanthus leaves and wheat. The Gustavian dark blue painted finish on this pair have a very pleasing, c...
Wood
Pair of Architectural Hand-Painted Wall Shelves Brackets
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Gorgeous Pair of Acanthus Leaf Wall Shelves Hand-Carved and Hand-Painted in a Gustavian shade of gray blue. This set could certainly stand alone as a pair on a wall or functional to ...
Wood, Paint
With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.